This invention pertains to joining tubular elements and the joining of a tubular element to an accessory. The invention relates to tubes for the circulation of gaseous and liquid fluids, powders and, more generally, all uses of metal and plastic tubes and ducts.
Known in the state of the art are diverse solutions for joining two tubes or joining a tube to an accessory. Certain solutions employ connecting pieces such as collars or rings. These solutions have the disadvantage of requiring the operations of positioning, assembly and maintenance. In addition, the risk of unexpected falling apart can not be completely ruled out. Other solutions consist of providing complementary snap connectors at the ends of the tubes.
As an example, one can cite FR 2,754,037 which describes a device for the tight end-to-end joining of metal tubes. In this device, the upper element has, facing the lower element A and moving towards the exterior from a cylindrical part, a tapered rib spreading upward and encompassing a circular groove, with said groove having an opening cross section and an elastically deformable external skirt, while the lower element has, facing the upper element and moving towards the exterior, starting from a cylindrical part, a tapered cup that widens towards the top and designed to receive the rib of the upper element and edged with an external tapered skirt that spreads towards the bottom, with said external skirt forming, with the wall of the cup, a circular rib, and which is able to elastically come into contact against the internal face of the external skirt of the upper element, in the rib of this element, and that the lower edge of the external skirt of the upper element A has holding means snapping on the side of the external skirt of the lower element B.
This device has certain disadvantages. First, manufacture of such devices is relatively costly. In addition, joining and disassembly of such devices is not always easy. The goal of the invention is to resolve these disadvantages by proposing a device which is reliable, easy to use and inexpensive in use. The goal is to attain a rapid and tight connection.
The invention relates in one aspect to a device for joining two tubular elements composed of two complementary parts extending end portions of the tubular elements, the two complementary parts each including an essentially rigid substantially conical flared part extended by a semitoric flange, with the semitoric flanges being capable of interlocking together. In another aspect, the invention relates to a tubular element adapted to be joined with a complementary element having on at least one of its ends a joining means, the joining means including an essentially rigid conical flared part, extended by a semitoric flange.